Category: Employers

Ever have one of those mornings when you’re feeling positive, full of energy, focused and ready to tackle whatever work throws your way? We think you need more of those. Sure, it helps to have a solid morning routine. But if you want to make dramatic improvements in your happiness and productivity in the a.m.,…

Words are incredibly powerful. Whether spoken or written, the language you use when communicating with your employees can hearten or discourage; convince or dissuade; inspire or depress. As a leader, you must choose your words with care and intention. While your actions undoubtedly speak volumes, what you say and write communicates how you feel about…

Leading a team to consistently perform at its peak is a common goal for managers – and a common theme to posts you’ll find on our blog. We’ve written about the topic frequently over the past year or so, sharing great advice from a variety of sources. Here are a few of our favorite installments:…

Think back over your career to this point. What boss or manager made the biggest impact on you – and why? Maybe they were an amazing coach. Perhaps they brought out great qualities in you that you didn’t realize you had. And maybe you just found them to be incredibly inspirational. Regardless of the specific…

As a leader, what happens when you develop better listening skills? Your employees become more motivated, engaged and productive. You retain more information and make fewer mistakes. You foster mutual trust with your team. You develop 6-pack abs. Okay; maybe not that last answer – but you get where today’s post is going, right? Strong…

As a leader, what happens when you develop better listening skills? Your employees become more motivated, engaged and productive. You retain more information and make fewer mistakes. You foster mutual trust with your team. You develop 6-pack abs. Okay; maybe not that last answer – but you get where today’s post is going, right? Strong…

When you have a tough problem to solve, conventional management wisdom dictates that you gather your team members and collectively “think outside the box.” But, what is that “box,” anyway? How, exactly, are people supposed to “think outside” it? And, most importantly, is “thinking outside the box” truly the best way to develop innovative solutions…

When is the last time an employee contradicted the majority? Challenged your thinking? Expressed a controversial opinion in an otherwise smooth meeting? If you can’t remember, you need to keep reading. Dissent in the workplace is uncomfortable. Disruptive. Complicated. When an employee disagrees with the rest of the group, it slows down processes by requiring…

Gut feelings and hunches? Save them for choosing your next dessert. You’re a manager – which means that you need to apply disciplined, sound strategies to your decision-making practices. While it’s nearly impossible to distill complex decision-making processes into a few terse bullets, solid fundamentals are undeniably important. Here are four basic strategies you can…

“That’ll never work.” “That’s not in my job description.” “Nothing will ever change around here.” Negative talk can really ruin the vibe in an otherwise positive organization. And pessimistic, hostile or downright toxic employees do more than just irritate your team. They can destroy your corporate culture. Undermine productivity and trust. And contribute to unnecessary…